AbstractBackground:Cryptococcus is a leading cause of AIDS-related mortality. Cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) is detectable in blood before meningitis onset, and predicts death. CrAg screening amongst those with advanced HIV, and treatment of those CrAg+ with fluconazole has demonstrated survival benefit. However, implementation and widespread uptake have been slow outside of clinical trials.Methods:We designed a CrAg screening program for routine care that incorporated intensive education and training of clinic staff. We evaluated programmatic implementation, including time to initiation of fluconazole, time to initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 6-month clinical outcomes.Results:Between December 2015 to January 2017, 1440 persons were screened at 11 HIV clinics in Kampala, and CRAG+ prevalence was 6.5% (n=94/1440) among adults with a CD4

2. A Prospective Evaluation of a multisite Cryptococcal Screening and Treatment program in HIV clinics in Uganda

AbstractBackground:Cryptococcus is a leading cause of AIDS-related mortality. Cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) is detectable in blood before meningitis onset, and predicts death. CrAg screening amongst those with advanced HIV, and treatment of those CrAg+ with fluconazole has demonstrated survival benefit. However, implementation and widespread uptake have been slow outside of clinical trials.Methods:We designed a CrAg screening program for routine care that incorporated intensive education and training of clinic staff. We evaluated programmatic implementation, including time to initiation of fluconazole, time to initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 6-month clinical outcomes.Results:Between December 2015 to January 2017, 1440 persons were screened at 11 HIV clinics in Kampala, and CRAG+ prevalence was 6.5% (n=94/1440) among adults with a CD4

3. Antifungal Combinations for Treatment of Cryptococcal Meningitis in Africa

Cryptococcal meningitis is the most common form of adult meningitis in many regions that have a high prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and accounts for 10 to 20% of all HIV-related deaths, with more than 100,000 deaths each year. This high burden is driven by a high case…